Digital Commons Network^™

Rapid Detection Of Salmonella Without Enrichment, Emily J. Harrington

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Salmonella is one of the leading foodborne pathogens causing illness today. Because of this, Salmonella rapid detection methods are under immense study for use in food. The traditional method, using the Food and Drug Administration- approved Bacterial Analytical Manual procedure, takes 4-6 days for Salmonella detection in food. Other rapid methods still take at least 16 h for detection due to their enrichment steps.

The hypothesis of this study was that the use of immobilized antibodies coupled with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used for the rapid capture and detection of Salmonella spp. in food without the need for …

Development And Characterization Of Eukaryotic Biomimetic Liposomes, Bradley Jay Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study developed and characterized phospholipid vesicles, or liposomes, that mimic cell surfaces. Microemulsified liposomes contained biotinylated phosphatidylethanolamine, allowing them to be immobilized to avidin-coated glass. Laminin (LN), glycosphingolipids (GMl and GM3), and Escherichia coli's mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (EcoMscL) were embedded into liposome membranes. It was determined whether these embedded molecules exhibited their physiological roles of adhesion, cell recognition, and mechanosensation, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was employed to examine the interaction of fluorescently probed proteins, toxins, and bacteria with the immobilized microemulsified liposomes. Capture of individual and simultaneous multiple species of bacteria by GMl, GM3, …

Rapid Detection Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Wim Lippens

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodbome pathogen that can cause severe illness and even death. It is found in dairy and meat products. The focus is on rapid detection since conventional methods are time consuming (4-5 days). Pre-enrichment steps, as part of those methods, are time consuming. Our objective was to develop a detection system without a pre-enrichment step, giving a final result within 2 to 4 h.

In the concept of "the need for speed," a detection system with an antibody-based capture technique, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was developed. Glass beads coated with a Listeria polyclonal antibody were …

Production Of Volatile Sulfur Compounds From Inorganic Sulfur By Lactococci, Supriyo Ghosh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Production of volatile sulfur compounds in cheese is associated with desirable flavors. The direct source of these compounds has been assumed to arise from the metabolism of methionine and cysteine. However, the methionine concentration in cheese rises above the amount found in casein during aging, suggesting that alternative sulfur sources are present in milk. This led us to hypothesize that lactococci may acquire sulfur from the inorganic sulfur pool of milk, in addition to methionine and cysteine, to generate volatile sulfur compounds during cheese ripening.

A turbidimetric method to determine total sulfate content in milk samples was developed. The average …

Affinity Purification And Characterization Of E. Coli Molecular Chaperones, Seung-Hee Nam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The molecular chaperones are a group of proteins that are effective in vitro and in vivo folding aids and show a well documented affinity for proteins lacking tertiary structure.

Heat-induced Escherichia coli BL21 cell lysate (10 mg protein) was applied to immobilized ɑ-casein (45 mg/g beads) or β-casein (30 mg/g beads) column. After removing a majority of nonspecifically bound proteins with 1 M NaCl, the molecular chaperones were eluted with cold water, 1 mM Mg-ATP, or 6 M urea. Western analysis identified five Escherichia coli molecular chaperones including DnaK, DnaJ, GrpE, GroEL, and GroES. Among samples, ATP eluates showed the …

Tryptophan Catabolism In Brevibacterium Linens Bl2, Madhavi Ummadi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent studies suggest aromatic amino acid catabolism by starter lactococci and flavor adjunct bacteria have a significant impact on off-flavor development during Cheddar cheese ripening. We hypothesized that a flavor adjunct bacterium, Brevibacterium linens BL2, produces off-flavor compounds from aromatic amino acid metabolism that will have a detrimental impact on cheese flavor.

The mechanism of tryptophan (Trp) catabolism in Brevibacterium linens BL2, was investigated in a chemically defined medium during incubation in laboratory conditions (no carbohydrate, pH 6.50, 220 rpm, 25°C) and cheese-like conditions (no carbohydrate, 4% NaCl, static incubation, l5°C). In laboratory conditions, metabolic studies and enzyme assays confirmed …

Genetics And Applications Of Nisin Production In Lactococcus Lactis Subsp. Lactis And Conjugal Exchange Of This Trait, Jeffery R. Broadbent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chapter I reviews current literature on gene transfer systems in lactic acid bacteria, how genetically altered microorganisms for food are presently regulated, and how nisin is used as a food preservative.

Chapter II investigates previous reports which linked genes for nisin biosynthesis and sucrose utilization (Nip⁺Suc⁺) to plasmid DNA in two well characterized L. lactis subsp. lactis strains. Plasmid curing studies, conjugations, and DNA-DNA hybridizations indicated that these genes were encoded by chromosomal loci in all Nip⁺Suc⁺ strains examined. Similar results were noted in nisin-sucrose transconjugants of L. lactis subsp. cremoris and S. …

Phosphate Requirements For A Whey-Based Lactic Bacteriophage Resistant Medium Under Ph Control, Napasri Ausavanodom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Five strains of lactic cultures and their homologous bacteriophage races were examined for response in a whey-based medium under pH control and fortified with zero to two percent levels of added orthophosphates. One percent each of culture and phage was inoculated into each medium, which was incubated at 25 C and continuously neutralized at pH 6.3 with 20 percent NH₄OH. Growth response in media was compared against growth in non fat dry milk and a commercial phage inhibitory medium (Marstar).

The whey-based medium which had been frozen and thawed provided more effective growth response and greater phage protection …

Investigations Into The Microbial Ecology And Limnology Of Hyrum Reservoir, In Northern Utah, Kenneth Maxwell Green

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of preliminary investigations was carried out to determine the factors promoting the dense, late summer waterblooms of Aphanizomenon flos-aguae in Hyrum Reservoir in northern Utah. Attempts were made to culture the Aphanizomenon in the ASM-8a medium of O'Flaherty and Phinney (J. Phycol. 6:95-97. 1970), but no growth was obtained and the algae soon lysed. Cultures were maintained, without growth, for more than four months in a lake water--lake sediment medium at 17 C under 1500 lux flourescent light.

Dissolved oxygen measurements using an in situ probe revealed the development of a sharp oxycline during the summer months; on …

An Epidemiological Survey Of Avian Tuberculosis In Livestock, Poultry, And Wild Birds In Rich County, Utah, Royal Thair Carver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study was conducted in Rich County, Utah to determine the extent of avian tuberculosis in livestock, poultry and wild birds. Sensitivity was elicited in cattle, swine and chickens by tuberculin testing.

The Mycobacterium avium organism was obtained from tissues and specimens of cattle, swine, goats, chickens, magpies and sparrows.

Methods of eradication of avian tuberculosis and the relationship of avian tuberculosis to mammalian tuberculosis are discussed.

The Microflora Of Milk Drawn Aseptically From The U.S.A.C. Dairy Herd, Lewis W. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Early studies on the bacterial content of milk were made mainly to satisfy the interest of people who wished to determine the various materials that contained bacteris. Soon the value of bacterial counts, as an indication of the general conditions of production, of handling, and of the keeping qualities of milk, became evident and bacterial counts were used to obtain information concerning these problems. Numbers of bacteria in milk have been used also in the studies of the desirable and undesirable changes in milk.

In the last few years our citizenry has been made more conscious of the presence and …